Shunned and Dead
by darkbandit01
Summary: Unbeknownst to anyone else, six/seven Espadas are alive after the winter war. They wake up on a deserted island, and begin an adventure to find a place to belong and live, hopefully  for most  in peace. However, they soon find it might not be so easy...
1. Chapter 1

Hey, so this is my first fanfiction hope you enjoy it!

I want to say that I was inspired by the writer crazyfreakazoid, who was a great writer with fantastic stories. I was both shocked and devastated when crazyfreakazoid passed away…it really made me value life. So I would like to offer this as a tribute to crazyfreakazoid's memory, and I would like to say that I decided to write because of that. I hope crazyfreakazoid would have liked this.

Well these are all my own ideas, and I would really appreciate no plagiarizing. There are a few characters that I made up and I hope I am not too OOC sorry if I am.

One more thing (sorry this is long) I apologize for not knowing the right clothing article names, I'll try to be as clear as possible. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach

**Chapter 1 – Fanged Flora **

The man lay motionless on the sand.

The sun was in the middle of the sky. The weather was warm, with only a slight breeze and a few puffy white clouds.

The man slowly opened his blue-gray eyes and sat up. He blinked as he surveyed his surroundings.

He was sitting on a sunny, quiet beach. Palm trees dotted the sand, and behind him was a small forest with trees and brush. The man himself had shoulder length brown hair and a faded goatee. He wore a crisp, clean white uniform, similar of that of a soul reaper. He gazed about him with cool bluish eyes, and his gaze rested on himself. He wore the same white shirt that he wore when working with Aizen. However, he wore pants like a shinigami, except that they were white with a black tie, which was in a messy bow.

He got up and redid the bow and set off at a swift pace down the empty beach, stopping next to a small figure on the sand. It was a small girl with shoulder length yellow-green hair and the remains of a hollow mask in a type of helmet, covering her left eye.

He knelt and lifter her up, carrying her off along the beach.

As he walked, he heard rustling from a thicket near the forest. He stopped, recognizing the spiritual pressure emanating from the area. "Come out Nnoitra," he said, sighing.

A tall, lanky man stepped out of the brush.

"Huh, looks like you're here, too…_Stark_," Nnoitra sneered.

The Primera narrowed his eyes. He had never especially liked Nnoitra; he was too obsessed with war and women for Stark.

"Have you seen any of the others?" he asked carefully.

"Harribel's down on the beach on the other side," the other grunted.

"S-Stark?" The girl's eyes fluttered open as she shifted in his arms.

"Hey, Lilynette, you're awake," Stark replied.

"Didn't expect me to sleep forever, did you? Unlike a certain someone I know," she teased.

"Ha. Let's go find Harribel," Stark said, a small smile on his face.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"I'm surprised to find myself in this position, mind you; I thought it would be the other way around," Lilynette commented as they walked, or rather, as she swung her legs dangling from Stark's arms.

"Don't underestimate me," Stark answered, his eyes twinkling with humor.

Lilynette snorted. "Underestimate your sleeping capabilities? How's that even _possible_?

"Oh, be quiet. I like my sleep," he muttered, slightly annoyed.

Lilynette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we all noticed. You're infatuated with your sleep. Maybe it's about time you fall in love with something other than your pillow and stuffed hornet." Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Why you –"

"You're getting old," she added.

"WHAT?"

"I am not getting—"he protested, even as Lilynette said, "See here, a gray hair."

Stark opened his mouth to retort, but before he could do anything else, she had rolled out of his arms and took off across the sand.

"I'm gonna beat you to the beach!" she shouted. "Pick your butt up and catch me!"

Stark only sighed on proceeded to walk at a slow pace.

"Still as slow as usual, I see," a voice said smoothly beside him.

Stark silently appraised the pink haired man beside him. Szayel Aporro Granz, the (pink) head of research in Hueco Mundo, and the eighth Espada in Aizen's army. For the most part, Granz was cruel and sadistic, but Stark knew that he did have a kind side to him, but which Szayel would never admit. It showed up sometimes, albeit rarely. Let's just say that he was nice about as often as Ulquiorra smiled.

Stark only sighed in response.

"Shouldn't you go after her?" Szayel questioned, his eyebrows arching.

"Fine. She'll only run off again anyway."

Nonetheless, Stark picked up his pace and started in the direction that Lilynette had taken.

"She's probably trampling through the forest and getting lost by now," he muttered. "Girls."

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Stark strode through the forest, sensing the reiatsu of another comrade. So when the voice came to him from the trees, he was not at all surprised.

"Whoa, he's actually moving."

"Hello, Grimmjow," Stark replied, glancing up at the blue-haired figure on the tree branch of a tall, leafy green tree.

"Talking, too! Wait," he snapped his fingers next to his ear, "am I dreaming?"

Stark cracked a smile, and, waving his fingers in front of his face, said "ooooh, I'm a ghost."

"From my mother's grave." Grimmjow snorted.

"Yeah, right, some convincing ghost you make."

"Hey, have you seen Lilynette?" Stark asked.

"Nah, not around here. She's probably exploring those rocks up there," Grimmjow responded, pointing to a looming rock structure to their left.

_Jeez, what a pain. Maybe I should just go back to sleep and let her find her own way. _ But Stark knew he couldn't do that – Lilynette could get lost, or worse, hurt. He had no idea what kind of creatures lurked in the caves.

Sighing, Stark turned towards the rocks, looking glumly at the imposing pile.

"All, right I got to go. See you around."

"Keep your eyes out for the others," Grimmjow replied.

Grimmjow leapt off through the branches as Stark quickly made his way towards the massive stone configuration, on the left side of the island: East.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Lilynette slowed down her pace as she explored the forest. It seemed huge! She had just found a group of medium-sized holes in the ground. She knew she was around the middle of the island, to the Western side, which was to the right of where she had been lying before (which was the North beach).

So far, she had not seen many signs of living creatures, other than some bugs, but she was alarmed to find a strange, green plant with a bright red inside. The strange thing about it was that around the edges, there seemed to be _teeth._ Curiously, she watched as a fly landed on the bright colored "petal." She leapt backwards in surprise when the plant violently snapped shut on the fly. She suddenly realized that maybe the forest wasn't the safest place to be.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Nnoitra was sitting on a low rock in the forest, near the North beach.

He was freaking _bored._ There was nothing to do here, and no one to fight. He could fight Szayel, but he was a wus. Plus, he was sick of his talk about the perfect being. It was quite clear to him that it was _he, _Nnoitra Gilga, who was the perfect being.

He set off in the forest looking for something to do. Unable to find something, and getting sick of walking, he dropped down to sit on some plants near some flowers. Grass and dirt didn't really appeal to him.

He waited there for a few minutes, doing nothing.

Until he felt _something _clamp down on his butt underneath him.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Harribel washed herself carefully in the clear ocean, narrowing her eyes as she watched the horizon intently. (Yes, she is still wearing her clothes – since they were dirty as well, she figured she might as well just go in with them. Also, then she wouldn't have to worry about Nnoitra leering at her like the pervert he was. He did that enough as it was, mind you.)

She was looking for another chunk of land with maybe some civilization on it.

At first, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just the endless expanses of the sea. Although they were on this secluded island, she could tell that they were in the human world.

_Soul Society… _

She thought back, remembering. She recalled watching as her comrades fell, as Aizen did nothing to help them. Still she fought on. And as she was trapped, unable to move, in the pillar of ice. She remembered her feeling of helplessness. And still Aizen did nothing. Still, she fought on. She watched as her fraccion were burnt to cinders. Grief filled her at the memory. _Apache…Mila Rose… Sun-Sung… _Still she fought, on and on. Even when she was facing three opponents, she continued fighting, to end this sacrifice, to end this war, she would fight until she could fight no more. And even then she would continue to battle. Until Aizen came – and slashed across her body. Rage filled her; rage at Aizen, for betraying those who trusted in him. Rage at herself, for being so foolish. Rage at how weak she was, unable to protect those she cared about. But mostly she was angry about how Aizen did nothing but spit on the death of Stark.

Stark had been her closest friend at Las Noches. He was able to make her smile when she was upset, and Lilynette was like a younger sister to her. She had the feeling when she came into this battle that something was going to happen. She could feel the foreboding atmosphere in the air. The other Espada be damned. They were cruel and unfriendly. But not Stark. He was possibly the only nice one around.

And so, when he died, that was the last straw.

How surprised she was to wake up on this island, after being "killed." She remembered nothing since the moment she fell, staring up hatefully at Aizen's face. That moment would be etched in her mind forever. His complacent demeanor, unshaken by their deaths. His supreme confidence in his victory. His cavalier attitude towards anything that happened in the battle. She would always hate that look.

Of course, she had followed him willingly. She had thought that after the incident where he saved her from the arrancar, he would trust her. She thought he cared more. No, that was wrong. She knew he didn't give a rat's fart what happened to them. She _wanted _him to care. So she pretended that he did.

She was a fool.

She had expected that, as a group, they could overcome the Soul Society. She had grossly underestimated both Aizen and the Soul Society. Strangely, however, she bore no grudge against them. She knew they had done what they had too. She would have been disappointed with them if they had done otherwise.

She wished that she could have been part of that society. After seeing their closeness, the way they worked together not only as companions, but as friends, she wanted nothing more than to have that kind of relationship.

But, there was no point in worrying about that now.

She scanned the horizon, and noticed a tiny speck in the distance. Surprised, she leapt off and bounded through the forest.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Szayel Aporro Granz was depressed. There was nothing to do here on this god-forsaken island; nothing to study, and no research equipment, either. He sighed. Then, his reiatsu sensor perked up, and he began to make his way across the sand, intrigued.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Ulquiorra sat in one of the caves, deep in thought.

His sharp ears picked up a high pitched scream echoing across the sides of the rocks.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"GYAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!"

The tall, lanky Espada leapt up – or rather, tried to leap up. He almost fell back down again, and saw that there was a green plant fastened on to his rear end. And it was _sharp._

He screamed again.

"Wh-what th-the hell?" he gasped.

He tried prying whatever it was off him, but to no avail. The thing held firm. He twisted his body around, and saw a plant with sharp teeth gripping his clothing.

"A – A MAN-EATING PLANT!" he screeched.

"GET IT OFF ME!"

"Having trouble?"

He turned, and saw the Tercera Espada watching him, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"Well don't just stand there, open it," he demanded.

"Why should I? I don't enjoy having my hand anywhere near your ass."

Nnoitra glared at her.

"You bitch. You're such a bitch, just like every other whore."

Harribel said nothing, and Nnoitra was about to throw another crude insult at her, but suddenly she pushed him down.

He landed in another cluster of the plants, on his back. As he felt them digging through his hierro, he screamed more insults at her and let loose a stream of foul mouthed curses.

Harribel turned around, displaying no emotion, and walked away.

Nnoitra lay gasping in the fanged flora.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Stark began to make his way up the rocks. They were much bigger than he originally thought. Worriedly, he felt around for Lilynette's spiritual pressure. He got nothing, not even a trace.

Now he was _really _worried. He didn't want to yell, in case there was something in the caves.

That was when he heard the scream.

High pitched and full of fear, it echoed throughout the forest and the rocks, making his hair stand on end. He slowly turned around, his eyes wide, terror coursing through him.

Breathing hard, he forced himself to think rationally. He knew Lilynette's voice. That didn't sound like her. He calmed down and decided to explore the caves for a bit, and see if he could find something. Lilynette would be fine. It was probably Nnoitra, anyway.

He scrambled over a rocky ledge, and saw a slim platform about 20 feet long, and 7 feet wide. There was another rocky wall on the right of it, and on the left, a sheer rock face dropping into the ocean. He noticed the entrance of a cave at the end of the platform, and he dropped down from the ledge onto the platform.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Lilynette backed slowly away from the plant. Suddenly, she had a premonition of something about to attack behind her… she leapt to the side as other plants shot forward on their stalks, snapping their jaws closed.

She had not moved a moment too soon.

Suddenly, she noticed the plants littering the ground. Her eyes wide, she watched as they began to stir, the ground coming alive with tens of teeming, carnivorous plants. She did the one thing she could do in a situation like that. She ran.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Ulquiorra looked up, raising his head to stare at the entrance of the cave.

Right on cue, the Primera Espada, Coyote Stark, walked in.

Stark was possibly the laziest man in the world. He was definitely lazier than anyone in Hueco Mundo, and probably the Soul Society and world of the living as well. One could never challenge him to a sleeping contest. Or at least, such an action was highly unadvisable, unless Lilynette was there too.

So it was slightly surprising to see him here.

"How can I help you?" Ulquiorra requested in a monotone.

Stark sighed, rubbing the side of his head. He _really _wanted to go back to sleep right now. The Cuarto Espada was depressing. Stark preferred not to get into a conversation with him. That is, if you could call him talking and Ulquiorra saying two words a conversation.

"I'm looking for – "

"Surely you are aware that she is not present."

"Well, I'll be going then."

"Very well."

Ulquiorra knew not to tell Stark not to bother him for something so trivial. He knew that Stark would overreact if he so much as suggested that anything concerning Lilynette's safety was unimportant, and Ulquiorra had no desire to incur the wrath of the Primer Espada, even if he was interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh, I'll be calling you for a meeting later," Stark stated.

Two green eyes watched him curiously as he sonidoed away.

After he left, the emerald-eyed Espada turned around, musing about their situation and about Aizen.

Soft noise filled the cave one more, and a brown bat fluttered down from the ceiling to land on his finger.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

A:N:

I got the idea of the plants from the Venus Fly Trap, as you may have guessed. If you've ever seen a cluster, you'll know – they look _scary._ It isn't just like one. It's like a massive patch of vicious, carnivorous plants (even though they aren't dangerous in real life). Look up on Google images "Venus fly trap" and you'll get some creepy-freaky photos. So when I saw those I was inspired and I decided to stick them in since they are so cool, and danger them up. So instead of thin filaments protruding from the rim, I replaced them with razor-sharp teeth, which are strong enough to bite through even Nnoitra's hierro. Also, these plants move and lunge at you. Very dangerous if you're not expecting them.

So that's the first Chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! This was more of a comedy intro than serious plot, coming up will be the start of actual decisions and plotline. Reviews really appreciated! If I messed something up please tell me so I can correct it, and hopefully turn this story into a really good piece! If you have any ideas, feel free to share! I am always open to suggestions and comments!

And if you're reading this, you've probably read this chapter, so I would like to thank you for taking your time to read this, and I hope I have not disappointed you! Next chapter I will try to describe the island in full, or at least the structure of it.

Until next time – Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

So, chapter 2 is finally finished! Hope you liked the last one; I would like to thank all those who reviewed my story: **Kero-mero, darkmachines, and especially Yemi Hikari.**

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment on this! It means so much to me!

Sorry for not updating earlier; for some reason my comp. wouldn't let me log in or access my files, so I was late in writing. Stupid technical difficulties…

Well, on to the next chapter! Sit back and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach

**Chapter 2 – The Gathering **

The island was ovular shaped, with two beaches at opposite sides down the length of the island. Stark and Lilynette had woken up on the North Beach, and Harribel had been in the water on the south side. Dotted along the North Beach were palm trees with coconuts. On the east lay a gargantuan rock, riddled with nooks and caves. There are seemingly bats in the caves, as Ulquiorra was "conversing" with them there. To the west lay a "beach," or rather, a black, rough, rocky ground that extended into the ocean. No Espada has been seen there so far.

And in the middle lay a giant (not really all that big, but it took up most of the island; it was a relatively small island) forest, with thick foliage, "regular" trees (that look like Oaks or Maples, or at least something similar), and man-eating plants. At the moment, Stark is running through the trees in the forest.

"Meeting," Stark said to Grimmjow as he passed, charging with Sonido through the forest.

The blue-haired Espada nodded, and leapt off to spread the word.

He found Nnoitra wrenching the last plant off of him. Grimmjow noted with amusement that the Quinta Espada was covered in cuts and marks.

"Whaddaya want?" Nnoitra snarled.

"Just telling you there's a meeting in ten minutes," Grimmjow answered mildly. "And you're cut up."

Nnoitra glared murder at him, and said "I don't suppose you'd be brave enough to have a little fight, eh?"

Grimmjow winced involuntarily. He knew that he was no match for the fifth Espada.

Nnoitra saw this and laughed nastily.

"Ha ha! Is little Grimmy too scawed to fight? Widdew Kitty need his mommy?" Nnoitra laughed abrasively.

"I told you, I AM NOT A FRICKIN CAT!"

Nnoitra just sneered.

"Then prove it."

He got ready his stance.

But before either one could make a single move, a shape barreled into Nnoitra from his side.

"What the Fuck – !"

Lilynette stood up, brushed off her clothes, and grinned.

Grimmjow just gaped at her in amazement.

"Wow, y – you're really something."

Grimmjow was surprised that she'd be so bold as to attack the Quinta Espada, especially when he was gearing up for a fight. But then again, she was the Primera Espada's fraccion. She could do what she liked, and Nnoitra couldn't do anything, or Stark would have his head. And as lazy as Stark was, nobody wanted to get on his bad side.

"Oh yeah, and Stark called a meeting. It's at the heart of the forest, in that clearing with the log," Grimmjow said, and made his way towards the meeting place.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"Hey, Harribel, we've got a meeting," Stark stated.

Harribel nodded and set off towards the meeting spot. Stark had already told them where they would be meeting, and it seemed he planned on doing it more frequently from then on.

When she got there, she saw that Grimmjow and Stark – sitting on a log slouched over – were there. She walked into the clearing with a brief "hello" and sat down on a log, crossing her legs.

They all saw Lilynette approaching, dragging Nnoitra behind her by his ear.

Stark grunted and stood up.

"I'm going to find the fourth."

Harribel nodded, and glanced at the sky. The sun had begun to set on the small island, casting pink and orange rays across the sky.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**Szayel groaned as he heard the call for a meeting. He had found a very interesting specimen amidst the trees. Now he had to go to a stupid _meeting. _ And things were just starting to get interesting.

He got up, albeit reluctantly, scraped some fertile soil and the specimens into a small glass jar which he pocketed, and made his way to the meeting spot.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Stark appeared outside of a rocky outcropping where Ulquiorra had decided to relax.

"Meeting."

Ulquiorra nodded soundlessly and made his way to the meeting spot.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

The seven of them sat around the blazing fire in the middle of the clearing. It was nighttime now and the stars shone brightly without any type of obstructions. There was almost no breeze, and it was a quiet night; the only sound that could be heard was the crackling from the fire.

Stark stood up.

"Ladies…gentlemen…comrades… I have called you here to discuss the matters of extreme importance that concern our survival, lives, and choices."

The firelight cast long shadows across their faces and through the trees as the six others leaned forward, as if to better catch what Stark was about to say.

"We…are most likely purported to be dead."

Although they all knew that, it still affected them to hear it so explicitly.

"So, we must decide what we should do now. The best course of action is unclear, and our lives may depend on our decision right now.

"As you know, Harribel found an island a short distance away, where we should be able to stock up on supplies."

"That is, if it's not deserted," muttered Nnoitra.

The others shifted anxiously.

"If so, what should we do?" queried Harribel.

Lilynette responded: "Well, we better just check before making assumptions. I mean, it couldn't hurt."

"Lilynette's right," Stark continued. "We have no choice but to investigate this island. Try not to be so conspicuous. I'll choose who to go."

The others nodded in agreement and gazed around at one another.

"Fine, I'll let you know at moon-high. Give me till then to think."

Stark left the clearing, and the others were left to do what they wanted.

"Everyone be back here by moon-high," Grimmjow commanded.

Harribel lay down on the log to sleep, and some of the others broke off into chattering whispers.

"Harribel?"

"Hm?" Harribel said, looking up.

Lilynette blinked down at her.

"Do you…what do you think will happen?"

"We'll see. Don't worry about it; your partner has it all under control."

Lilynette snorted.

"Yeah, right; if what you call sleeping is a form of control."

"Yeah, you're right; knowing Stark, he'll probably be sleeping when we find him hours after the meet time."

They both chuckled softly and Harribel put her head down while Lilynette sat on the ground near her.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

The moon shone brightly from the middle of the sky. There was a light scent of salt on the light breeze. The trees rustled softly in the wind.

Four of the six Espadas plus Lilynette were ready around the fire. Nnoitra was off somewhere, and Stark had not yet returned.

Suddenly they heard a rustling from the bushes, and Stark emerged from the shadows, his white clothing glowing in the moonlight. They all turned towards him, waiting to hear his decision. He walked over to a log, raising on foot on it and leaving one foot on the ground.

His gaze swept the clearing, his sharp eyes missing nothing.

"I have decided," he began, "to send myself, Tia, and Szayel."

"And me," supplied Lilynette.

"No."

"What?" Lilynette's head jerked up in surprise.

"You're not coming along. You'll remain on this island with the others 'till we get back."

"—don't argue" he interrupted as Lilynette opened her mouth to speak.

"Listen. You need to stay here, because if anything happens, we'll be in each other."

Confusion was evident on Grimmjow's face at his words. Szayel merely looked intrigued, Ulquiorra was as stoic as ever, and Harribel looked calm, without a trace of surprise on her features. A look of deep understanding passed across Lilynette's face. If anything should happen to him…

"I understand," she whispered.

Stark hesitated briefly, then nodded.

"All right; Ulquiorra, you're in charge while we're gone. Grimmjow, just don't get into a fight. Lilynette, behave," he said, giving her a stern look. "Ulquiorra, you're in charge of her. You don't have to make her eat though; she can do that herself. We'll leave in the morning. Harribel, Szayel, stay back a moment. The rest of you can go."

Szayel inwardly groaned. He wanted to get back to studying that specimen; it was eating him up inside. Whenever he found something new to study, he couldn't go to sleep until he had made some serious headway on examining and testing it. Research gave him insomnia.

Well, he might as well listen up. He didn't want to miss important instructions and potentially be left wandering confusedly around the streets.

The three Espada gathered together in a close circle – well, triangle. Stark began outlining what they would be doing.

"And here," he said, "are some maps."

He handed the two of them rolls of paper, which they opened to find a map of the other island, a list of instructions, and a litany of what they had to accomplish or acquire. Some of them had times written by them. Their names were scrawled at the top of their papers. Glancing at each other's lists, Szayel and Harribel noticed that they had been assigned to different tasks.

"Huh," Szayel remarked profoundly.

"Those are your explicit duties. If you think something else is important, make sure it doesn't conflict with your schedule. Some of the missions will be solo."

"So we'll be together on others." Harribel stated for confirmation.

"Yes. However, make sure you don't stray off your schedule. I wrote times because some things are better done at separate times, and some are coordinated. Also, I don't want you _getting distracted_," he said slowly and with emphasis, leaning a little towards Szayel.

*Gulp* Szayel leaned backwards. "H-hey, don't look at me!" he blanched.

Harribel looked amused.

"He's talking about your inventions."

"And your research," Stark grunted. "Don't think I didn't notice you itching to get back to studying whatever it is. You were practically bouncing in your seat."

"I…I was?" Szayel said in dismay.

Harribel snorted, unable to hold in her laughter any more.

Szayel gave her a disgruntled look, and the corners of her eyes crinkled in laughter.

"You should see your face," she informed him.

Szayel blushed to the tips of his hair.

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered, letting his hair fall over his face.

A smile tugged at the corners of Stark's mouth.

"Ok, enough chatter. Get to bed. We get up early to prepare. Don't wake the others."

"Right," Szayel and Harribel nodded.

"Let's pack some creatures with us, and maybe some useful supplies," Szayel added.

"Like what?" Harribel half-asked, half-stated.

"Yeah, it's not like there are any supplies on this G-d-forsaken island," mumbled Nnoitra, walking over to them.

He was tugging at something in his long hair, and didn't seem to be so successful in getting it out. Throwing up his hands in disgust, he left it alone, leaving a much worse-looking, knotty mess in the middle of his long lock.

Harribel raised her eyebrows at him.

"I don't recall inviting you."

"Shut up, you're just a bitch. You don't have the right to speak, unless you're spoken too, you ungrateful whore," Nnoitra spat. "You women are all the same. You just don't accept that men are superior in every clear way. It's quite obvious to someone with a bit of brain that men are superior."

"Every clear way to _you_. And you're right; only someone with a very small bit of brain would think that men are superior," she responded calmly.

"And we're so glad you confirmed it verbally. It seems like that itsy bit of brain of yours is capable of even fleeting moments of the real thought analysis of a horsefly," Szayel put in condescendingly, a sneering smirk pasted on his features.

Nnoitra growled in warning, and Stark _looked _at him. Nnoitra backed down, whimpering.

"Go back to your den, and take your crude comments with you, please," Stark grunted. "I'm sick of hearing you."

"You were late to the meeting," Harribel said in a monotone.

"Shut up," he snarled in return, and stalked off, passing Ulquiorra, who watched him with emerald orbs.

"You missed the meeting." Ulquiorra said it plainly, with his usual detached air.

Nnoitra stormed past him into the woods.

"Fu***** suck up, he just doesn't know when to quit. I'll show him one day. I'm gonna teach that butt-kissing bastard a lesson." Nnoitra kept rambling about "showing" Ulquiorra. Of course, he just couldn't accept the fact that the Cuarta Espada was way out of his league.

The three Espada in the group sighed, looking at each other tiredly.

"OK, time to go to bed," Stark decided.

The other two agreed, and each headed off: Stark plopped down on the log and immediately started snoring, Harribel set off towards North Beach, and Szayel went a few feet into the trees and started tinkering with his tools and experiment.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

The next morning, the Primera, Tercera, and Octava Espada convened on the North Beach. They had woken up a couple hours before, and they were almost ready. The weather was as temperate as it had been for the past two days. It was warm but not too hot, with almost no breeze.

"We all set?" Stark checked.

"Stark…" Lilynette stood near the group.

They all turned to her. Harribel saw a brief flash of longing and grief in Stark's eyes, but then it was gone.

"Yeah? We're leaving after breakfast. Why are you up, anyway?"

Lilynette gave him a look that said '_Really?'_

"Come on, when am I not up five hours before you?"

Stark chuckled.

"I hope that's not literal."

"It usually is."

The other two Arrancars chuckled. Stark swept his gaze over them.

"Is everything in order, guys? Guy and gal?"

"Of course; and I even brought along a little _test _subject," Szayel grinned, displaying a large jar encapsulating one of the man-eating, sharp-toothed plants indigenous to the island.

"Huh." Harribel stated articulately.

"Fine, just don't get too caught up in it. Follow the schedule."

"Will do." Szayel looked pleased.

"All right, lets wake 'em up."

They strode through the forest to the clearing. Grimmjow was crashed in the middle of the clearing where they had their meeting.

Szayel approached him. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the fresh fragrances of the island. Suddenly a green plant lunged out at him, digging its jaws into his ankle. He yelped in pain and fell on top of Grimmjow.

Grimmjow's eyes snapped open, and he took a moment to register where he was, and the situation he was in.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Grimmjow shot upward, causing Szayel to roll off of him.

"Hey, watch it," he complained.

"My apologies," Szayel responded sarcastically. "Sorry the fanged plant bit me."

"You should be," grumbled Grimmjow. Despite his complaints, he leaned forward and pulled the plant's jaws open so that Szayel could get his leg out.

"Whatever," moaned Stark. "Quit arguing already. I'm going to get Ulquiorra."

He used sonido and disappeared from the clearing.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"BREAKFAST!" Lilynette yelled loudly.

"Ouch," mumbled Stark as he came down the "stairs."

They were in a dip in the island, like a small, shallow, bowl-shaped pit, where they had set up a fire and were cooking birds on a spit. The dip was just large enough to fit them and the food comfortably and there was more room around the rim, where people could sit (it wasn't that deep of a dip – it was just sandy and soft inside, and grassy around it). The ground was a mixture of soft dust and sand. There were a series of small, smooth stone ledges that looked like small steps. It was quite unnatural, because while on one hand the island seemed like it had never been habituated by people, on the other hand there was no way that these stones could have gotten there naturally.

The scent of roasting birds filled the air, and clouds of steam rose up from the shallow fire pit they had dug in the dip. Stark's stomach rumbled deeply just from smelling it.

Lilynette and Grimmjow had found a group of hen-sized blue birds and decided to hunt them and cook them for breakfast. They were quite delicious. Nnoitra was pigging out on them until Lilynette glared at him and Harribel stated flatly "Pig," to which Lilynette smirked and replied wittily "cow!"

Ulquiorra held a small bird tentatively in his hands and took a small bite. Even though it was the smallest bird in the pile, it still covered half his face. He chewed tentatively, and, discovering that it was good, dug in.

As they were eating, Szayel scooted over to Stark. Stark glanced up.

"So, how _did _you make those maps when you couldn't even see the island?"

"…Well…uh, I um, kind of headed in that direction a bit… to get the outline of the island. Didn't want to go in there blind."

"Smart."

"Yeah, look who's talking."

Szayel chuckled.

"True."

They finished up their food, and Stark got up, licking his fingers.

"Delicious, Lilynette."

Her eyes glowed with pride and then narrowed challengingly.

"Did you expect anything different?" she demanded belligerently.

Stark only sighed.

"I could do with a nap," he called out with a huge yawn.

"Well, too bad Primera," Harribel retorted lightly, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him off to their baggage – which wasn't that much. They were only supposed to be gone for a week at most, in Szayel's case.

They convened near the northern edge of the forest after retrieving their bags from North Beach. A coconut dropped down, and Harribel caught it in her hands. She deftly spun it up in the air and caught it with one hand easily. They turned, facing the southern side where the other island was.

"Let's go."

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

A:N:

And that's the end of chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed it! R&R – comments much appreciated!

-Darkbandit01


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Chapter 3 is up! Still working on that adventure… o.o sorry guys! It's a lot more difficult than I thought to juggle 2 stories and consistently update… I have so much to do, it's insane…and I want to make this good for you guys! I don't believe in crappy stories because 'I didn't have time.' Make time. (Or don't update yet). So I tweaked things a bit with the real plotline, this is just a heads-up. Of course, since the Espada died the whole story is out of plot ;).

Also if you want to be a part of the story, check out my adventure-story _Shunned Adventure_.

Thanks to all reviewers! **Yemi Hikari, Kero-mero, darkmachines, and TheCatWithTheHat! **Thanks so much you really make this so much better and more enjoyable to write! Thanks for your support! And thanks to those who joined the adventure; hopefully I'll be able to put it up soon! If I forgot to respond to you review (don't think I missed anyone :\ ) my deepest apologies!

A bunch of people added this to story alert or favorite; if you guys like this, or have comments, please review! Even if it's only one line or so, it means a lot to me, and it makes me feel motivated and really happy when I get reviews! Thanks to you all! I love you guys; you help me keep going!

I know the last chapter was not that exciting; this one is faster, but with heavy dialogue; this chapter is really meant to set the stage for the coming chapters and the story. Hope you enjoy it! I am especially pleased with the parts of Szayel in this chapter; I feel that what he says really aligns with what he would have said. Let me know what you think!

Now on to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own bleach and all that, blah blah. Credits to Tite Kubo!

**Chapter 3 – Human Island **

The three Espadas stood on the edge of the populated island, looking at their maps.

"Well, well, these certainly _are _accurate," Szayel drawled, scanning the paper.

Harribel only nodded in agreement.

"Pfft. Sounds like you expected something less."

"Well…" the corner of Szayel's mouth twitched. "…I expected to see something that might have been an abstract symbolism of chicken scratch. I didn't expect it to be so… _neat._ Well, I'm sure Lilynette will be happy to learn that you can write so nicely."

"Oh G-d, don't."

Szayel grinned maliciously.

"Well, I suppose I don't have to say it explicitly…I do hope she doesn't get these papers somehow…" He shook his head in mock sympathy.

Stark sighed.

"All right, what do you want?"

Szayel grinned enthusiastically.

"Well, let's see…the budget could be raised from nil, I would like some new equipment, test subjects _would _be nice, oh, and permission to try some, er, _new developments,_ your signature to bring in some –"

"All right," Stark interrupted. "I can see you want a lot of things. Now test subjects and permission, I think we can work out. Signatures and equipment – I should be able to arrange that. As for the budget –" Szayel opened his mouth to respond, but Stark cut him off.

"Don't even get me started on the budget. You know as well as I do, Szayel Aporro, that we haven't got a penny or a single Soul Dollar to spend on hamburgers, let alone the Scientific Revolution. So don't ask, for money.

"… On second thought, tell you what. We'll make a deal. You don't show Lilynette those papers… and I'll let you work for your pay."

"Work…?" Szayel asked, mystified.

"That's right. But not research."

"—? What do you want me to do, mow lawns?"

Stark shrugged. "I don't know. But I will find you someone who can see spirits –"

"—and can stand your incessant 'perfectitude talk,' your awful accent, –" Harribel cut in.

"—pink hair – " Stark broke in.

"—arrogant attitude –" Harribel continued.

"—sadistic pleasures –" Stark added.

"—and terrible sense of fashion!" they both cried simultaneously.

"Whaat?" Szayel looked indignant.

"Well…" the blonde-haired Arrancar began slowly. "…who wears purple heels and finds them fashionable? –other than Cuulhourne, but that's beside the point."

"That's my released form! I can't control that!"

"You relish it," she stated flatly, looking straight at him.

"So? Might as well. Look at what _you're _wearing." He glared at her accusingly.

"What about it?" She asked in her low voice, making her seem even more intimidating. She stepped towards him, her eyes betraying nothing her voice didn't.

Szayel backpedaled rapidly.

"N-nothing! I mean, there's nothing _wrong _with it, it's just, uh, kind of revealing, you know, not that there's anything wrong with revealing clothing, hah, uh, but, I just thought…that…uh," he stuttered as Harribel slowly advanced on him.

"Thought that what?" She hissed, looming over him.

"Man, why am I always stuck in this?" Stark sighed.

Szayel gulped, blanching.

"Well it just might be hard to keep all those guys off you with a body like that!" Szayel said with false cheerfulness, sweating profusely.

Harribel looked at him.

"I think I can handle them," she said coldly. "Not that you find me beautiful; with your oh-so-brilliant mind, you can't comprehend the attraction between those of the opposite sex at all."

"Ouch," mumbled Stark.

"Yes! It's precisely as you said. People are naturally drawn to those with similar views, interests, and physical attributes as themselves! Short people are better with other short people. A short person like the Squad Ten Captain simply does not look good with taller persons – well, that would be most people. So, following those lines, males should pair with males, and females should stick to themselves."

"And how do you suggest the human race survive, may I ask?"

"You may. I enjoy sharing my opinions with other high-level thinkers. Unlike that ignoramus Mayuri Kurotsuchi. My answer: I don't. I find the human race quite vulgar. In fact, everything about humans suggests extreme vulgarity," he said obnoxiously. "Quincies, as well," he added, a gleam in his eyes.

"And children?" She asked mildly.

A look of disgust passed across his face.

"And those brats are the worst joke of all. You get married to raise a handful of screaming, whiny, aggravating monsters. Children should be thrown on the streets the moment they're born. Teach them to grow a spine, so they are prepared to take on the world when they grow up. And the weak would be discarded. That's simply nature. Any truly 'good parent' would give up something if they truly 'loved' their child."

"That's Hueco Mundo." Harribel said in her usual low, melancholy voice.

"Exactly! It's simply the basic nature of life. It's Darwinism: survival of the fittest. Possibly the most brilliant human in my humble opinion, simply for stating the obvious."

"I see. That's –"

They stopped, hearing soft, angry muttering from their other, forgotten companion. Stark was waving a map up and down in aggravation.

"Stupid thing. Doesn't make any sense," he mumbled moodily.

"Let me see." Harribel gently took the map from his hands.

"It's turned like this." She turned it over and held it at an angle.

"It's tilted…" he murmured.

"Yeah." Her voice was even softer than usual.

"Wow, that was stupid." His voice mostly returned to normal. "Lilynette would have had my head if I did that." He smiled, his mind wandering. "And…thanks."

Harribel only nodded silently, her eyes landing on the first thing on her list.

"Stark – look," she said, pointing to the list.

"Oh, darn," Szayel said, not sounding at all disappointed. He, too, had seen the list.

"We missed the first 'activity.' And we're going into the second."

"_Ohh, shit._" Stark grated.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"GO, GO, GO!"

Stark panted as they raced down the streets. The passerby paid no attention to them – obviously, since they couldn't see the Arrancars.

"Split!" he called out as they reached an intersection.

"What is this, Bananagrams?" Harribel muttered.

Stark either didn't hear her or ignored her. They ran off in different directions: Szayel went right, Harribel turned left, and Stark continued straight.

I'll tell it as it is. (Read this like a joke). A blonde, brunette, and pink/redhead are running down a street. The brunette stops at a small quaint white house with a neat little yard. A woman comes out to greet him and puts her arm around him. The two go inside. The pinkhead waits on the street, and a car pulls up. He gets in the car, and it takes him to a mechanic's shop with gears and bolts in the window. He goes up the steps and rings the doorbell. He hears a voice from inside say "come through the back." He tries the side door, and, finding it open, he goes inside. The blonde is walking down the street and reaches an alley in a seedy part of the neighborhood. She walks partway in, stops, looks around, and says, "I guess I'll just wait for someone to pick me up, too."

(Okay, bad joke, but when I was writing this, the scenario just sounded like one of those blonde, brunette, and redhead jokes. At least they're better than the jokes my bio teacher puts on his tests – which isn't saying much: 'why is it called a fluid mosaic? a) proteins b) phospholipids c) it's semi-permeable d) because of Moses (get it? MOSaic?)' Yeah, he wrote that. Including the 'get it? MOSaic?' part.)

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"Heyy, girlie, looks like you're all alone," a man leered at her.

Harribel kept her back to him, her arms folded over her chest. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a short man that looked to be around thirty. He was wearing ratty clothing and there was stubble on his chin.

Harribel paused, taking in her surroundings. The alley was mostly bare, with trash littering the ground. The stench was choking. Despite the stink, Harribel was still, with almost nothing revealing that she was even alive other than her standing on her own two feet.

He laughed, a harsh, guttural sound.

"Not answering me? Do you want to join me? I'm sure you didn't mean to be rude. You –"

Harribel suddenly twitched, and he stopped mid-sentence.

"Of course." Her back was still turned to him, and he didn't see her mouth move because her jacket seemed to cover the sides of her cheeks. Even so, she had quite the voluptuous body, perfectly shaped and curved, just how he liked it. He grinned lecherously. This was going to be fun.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"Of course!"

Stark relaxed. Things here were going faster than he had imagined. That was good, seeing as his next task could be quite difficult.

"All right, I'll send him over tomorrow or the next day."

"You say he's purple hair? And he's a scientist?"

"Pink. And he isn't exactly the type of scientist…"

She laughed. "Basically, he's not the kind of person I'd find in the doctor's office. I'll handle him."

"If he gives you any trouble about the chores, tell me," Stark warned her. "He's not exactly the type you boss around."

"Don't worry, there's plenty for him to do. And I'll make sure he gets paid nicely, so he can't complain."

"Thanks so much. I've got to go." Stark stood up quickly.

"All right, see you!"

Stark opened the door, and then turned back. "Again – thanks."

She just smiled and waved.

Stark jogged quickly down the street, around a corner, and out of sight.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

The short man reached out, about to put his hand on her shoulder. Fast as lightning, she snatched his wrist, turning, and threw him to the ground. He grunted and rolled to the side, but was stopped by her foot. She stood over him, on foot on either side of his body. He lay on his back, staring up at her, as she slowly lowered herself onto her knees, still on top of him. He licked his lips, trembling with barely contained excitement and delight. He watched lustfully as she slowly reached up to her jacket's zipper that rested under her breasts.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she began to pull it up.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Stark sprinted off through the neighborhood. He needed to get this done quickly and efficiently. He also had to complete this before the others came looking for him.

Stark quickly stepped into a side street. Sweeping his gaze one last time over the peaceful town, he wondered what they would bring to it. He took a breath, clearing those thoughts from his head. He fixed his cold blue eyes in front of him as he tapped the air.

The portal yawned wide, swirling mists revolving in the abyss. Watching the street, blue-gray eyes pierced the air as the blackness closed around them.

The hole reopened into a dark room. A chair stood at one end, with a small pedestal right nearby. The figure approached it with a few silent, undetectable steps. Keeping his _raitsu _low, the Primera Espada allowed his hand to hover over the small pillar. A light glow briefly penetrated the room, and then died down as the layers slid open, revealing a small, marble-sized orb.

Streaks of white swirled in the purple sphere. Power and mystery emanated from the orb; its aura was intoxicating. Stark slowly reached for it, inching forward, his eyes fixed only on the wondrous marble before him. Two fingers grasped the sides of the sphere, lifting it up. Stark suddenly caught small noises from outside the room, and he quickly covered the Hogyoku with his gloved hand and tucked it into his clothing, leaping from the balcony.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

The blue-haired Arrancar opened the door to Aizen's chambers, peering around the blackened room. There was no trace of anyone or anything out of the ordinary. He closed the door with a snap.

A heavy silence lay over the dark, empty void of a chamber, as it faded into darkness.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Grimmjow was bored. There was nothing to do on the island now that everyone was gone. He had thought of venturing off to the islands, but that damn pet Ulquiorra wouldn't hear a word of it, let alone allow Grimmjow to go by himself. Now that his precious master Aizen was gone, Ulquiorra just became the pet of the next leader among them – Stark. He couldn't even be independent for once! Like really, did that moron not realize that he was just a tool? But once a pet, always a pet.

Additionally, not only could Grimmjow not leave the island, but he couldn't even explore the caves because Ulquiorra was 'using' them/'inhabiting' them, and Ulquiorra had stated that he "would split the rocks simply by using his voice." How stupid was that? [supposed to be ironic because his release splits rocks from screaming.] As such, he was bored to death. "Hey Nnoitra!" he yelled. "Wanna spar?"

Nnoitra grinned, revealing his piano-teeth. "Sure thing. That is, if you think you can keep up with me."

"Oh you are _SO _on!" Grimmjow hollered.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ulquiorra watched with absolutely no amusement at the scene taking place in front of him. Grimmjow and Nnoitra were destroying everything in their wake with a violent brawl, and Lilynette was making enough of a racket doing whatever 'sport activity' she was engaged in to wake up the whole of Hueco Mundo from here. (Yes, despite the fact that they weren't even _in _that world).

"…"

"Trash…"

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Szayel Aporro Granz stared, amazed at the glorious sight before him. Lights flashed and reflected off his glasses in the darkened room. Here was a piece of technology, so great, that even all of his equipment back in his storehouse couldn't compare to a quarter of it. He simply gaped, awestruck, at the glowing monitors before him.

"Wow…" he uttered, stunned.

"Yes. The world's fastest, most improved supercomputer ever created. And this is the only model. The only prototype. There is none other like it. This computer is 10 times more powerful than those in the American NSA. In fact, this single computer is more powerful than every supercomputer of that level combined."

"Incredible." Szayel breathed. He began to regain his speech and thinking ability as his shock and disbelief morphed into excitement. He had never been this excited in his life, not even when he was on the brink of a life-changing discovery. All the possibilities! How far he could go with such a beauty! Its remarkable speed transcended anything he could have dreamed of. This device was the paragon of perfection – and yet. And yet…Granz felt he could make it even better. The reading… Yes, that was the key. The datachip reading in the interdrive could be amended. If he added a moderately complex invention…then rewired the backing, changed the slots and the level of input, he could make this computer 20, no, 100 times faster!

Suddenly…Damn. His alarm was ringing. It was time to go.

"Can a schedule an appointment for you some other time?"

The mechanic's eyes gleamed in understanding, reading everything flickering across the Espada's eyes. "I'll be waiting for it."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

As he headed aboveground, Szayel felt the fluctuation of a powerful spiritual pressure. As he neared the surface, he abruptly felt the intensity of a very powerful spiritual pressure – it was suffocating and stale, and exactly like the Segunda Espada.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

The two sides of her jacket fell completely away, revealing her bottom jaw and face, and the hollow mask attached. Harribel watched coldly as at first, his eyes began to widen in horror as the bottom of her hollow mask became visible. She saw how slowly he turned ghostly white and began to shake. When she finally unzipped the whole thing, his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted, also leaving a soaking stain by his private area. The area he wished to share with her…so…not so private for a very long time.

She stood up, brushing off her pants, and zipped her jacket back up – I mean, down. She began to walk off, but she hadn't walked very far before she felt the crushing _raitsu _of the second Espada, Barragan Luisenbarn.

Her eyes widened in shock. She had wondered what had happened to the other Espadas, but she had figured that they had perished for real. It would seem that she was gravely mistaken. She also felt the distinct spiritual pressures of the other three, which were blended in with the Segunda.

It was then that she made her decision. She began to make her way to the source – but not before reaching into the fainted man's inside breast pocket and pulling out a slip of paper.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Szayel and Harribel picked their way through the crowds of rush hour, to convene at the park in a small part of the neighborhood, close to where the others could be felt.

"Stark?"

"I'm here," he grunted, stepping out of a Garganta. Both observed silently, and their notice was not lost on Stark. However, he mentioned none of it.

"Let's go."

The three stepped around a cluster of trees, directly to the source of the spiritual pressure, and found themselves face-to-face with a group that they recognized all too well.

They stared at each other for a split second.

"—Hey." Aaroniero said.

**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

A:N:

Haha! That's where we leave off for next time! Hope you liked this, plz review, please thanks! I love reviews they make me feel great so just take the two seconds! Questions or comments I'll be glad to take.

-Darkbandit01


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